2013 DUCATI MULTISTRADA Complaints

PUSHING ON REAR BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT RESULT IN ADEQUATE BRAKING POWER TO STOP OR EVEN SLOW DOWN VEHICLE WITHOUT USING FRONT BRAKE. THIS IS DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY ON A ROAD WHERE THERE IS GRAVEL OR DIRT OR ANY OTHER LOOSE MATERIAL. CALLED THE DEALER, IN OMAHA NE, DEALER TOLD ME THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT THINGS ARE.

THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN LEAVING MY HOUSE FOR A RIDE. I GOT TO THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY TO FIND OUT MY REAR BRAKE WENT FROM SOFT TO NONEXISTENT. NO RESISTANCE AT ALL. I COULD PUSH THE BIKE WHILE SEATED WITH ONE FOOT WHILE DEPRESSING THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL TOTALLY. AGAIN, NO BRAKING AT ALL. THANK GOODNESS I COVER THE FRONT BRAKE OR I WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN THE BUSY STREET. IT PROVIDES NO STOPPING ASSISTANCE AT ALL; NO REAR BRAKE AT ALL. I AM ON MY 4TH "BRAKE BLEED" APPOINTMENT WITH THE DUCATI DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SYSTEM BLED AND CHECKED. LOOKING AT TRADING THE BIKE IN AS THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS UNSATISFACTORY. LINKED BRAKES IN A SYSTEM THAT LOSES PRESSURE IS POINTLESS. THE NTSB SHOULD TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A LONG STANDING ISSUE WITH THE DUCATI MULTISTRADA MODEL. WITH THE REVAMPED 2013 MODEL, I WAS EXPECTING A BETTER PRODUCT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. I RIDE USING BOTH BRAKES BUT HAVE NO FAITH IN THE REAR BRAKE AS IT HAS QUIT ON ME 3 TIMES NOW, 2 WHILE MOVING AND ONE WHILE IT WAS SITTING THE GARAGE. CAN I LIVE WITH IT? YES, BUT WHY SHOULD I LIVE WITH A $20K, HIGH END MOTORCYCLE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED BRAKING COMPONENTS FUNCTIONAL? RIDING IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH, BUT HAVING A BIKE WITH FAULTY BRAKES IS SCARY. ANY ASSISTANCE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED NTSB. *TR

THERE IS AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF CORROSION ON THE BRAKING COMPONENTS. THE RIVETS ON THE FRONT ROTORS AND THE HAND LEVERS FOR THE CLUTCH AND FRONT BRAKE ARE ALL SHOWING SIGNIFICANT CORROSION/DETERIORATION. IF ONE OF THESE COMPONENTS FAILS DUE TO CORROSION THEN THE BRAKES AND/OR CLUTCH WILL BECOME INOPERABLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE. I TOOK THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM INSPECT THE COMPONENTS AND ASK DUCATI TO PROVIDE WARRANTY ASSISTANCE TO REPLACE THE CORRODED PARTS. DUCATI DECLINED THE CLAIM AND CAME BACK WITH A GENERIC RESPONSE OF "HARSH ENVIRONMENT". I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS LOW MILEAGE AND HAS BEEN SERVICED PER THE MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS AT THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. DUCATI WARRANTY CLAIM # [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE REAR BRAKE ON THIS BIKE NEVER PERFORMED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS FROM THE FIRST TIME I RODE IT FROM THE DEALERSHIP, ESPECIALLY FOR A 150 HORSEPOWER SPORTY MOTORCYCLE. AT ABOUT 1,500 MILES THE REAR BRAKE WOULD ONLY WORK IF YOU PUMPED THE PEDAL TWICE TO GET ANY BRAKING ACTION AT ALL. AT 2,200 MILES I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THESE MODEL BIKES, AND DUCATI HAS NOT COME UP WITH A FIX THAT ACTUALLY CORRECTS THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAD A RECALL ON 2010-2012 MODELS REPLACING THE MASTER CYLINDER AND SOME OTHER PARTS, BUT THE DEALER REPORTS THAT THE REPAIRED BIKES STILL HAD A BRAKE THAT FAILED, AND THAT 2013 BIKES CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITH THE "UPDATED" PARTS, AND MINE STARTED FAILING ALMOST FROM THE DAY I TOOK DELIVERY. I PICKED MY BIKE UP FROM THE DEALER LAST WEEK AND BY THE TIME I MADE IT HOME THE REAR BRAKE WOULD NOT LOCK THE REAR WHEEL OR ENGAGE THE ABS WHEN I TRIED TO. IN 20 MILES THE BRAKE FEEL WENT FROM WEAK TO ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. THIS IS A PITIFUL SITUATION AND THE DEALER HAS NO SOLUTION FOR A BLATANT SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THIS BIKE. CHECK THE DUCATI FORUMS, THIS EXISTS ON DUCATI BIKES ALL AROUND THE WORLD. I PAID $24,000 FOR THIS (PREMIUM) BIKE AND NOW I'M SCARED TO RIDE IT BECAUSE IN AN EMERGENCY STOP SITUATION I KNOW THAT I AM WORKING WITH A 30% REDUCTION IN AVAILABLE BRAKING POWER (THE FRONT BRAKE PROVIDES 70% OF ALL BRAKING AND THE FRONT LUCKILY WORKS VERY WELL). AS LONG AS THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON WITHOUT RESOLUTION MAKES ME THINK SOMEONE IS GOING TO NEED TO DIE FIRST BEFORE DUCATI GETS SERIOUS ABOUT FIXING THIS PROBLEM. REALLY?

AFTER APPROXIMATELY 6000 MILES, THE REAR BRAKE ON THIS MOTORCYCLE CEASED TO FUNCTION. I DISCOVERED THIS AS I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE BRAKE TO HOLD THE BIKE IN A STABLE POSITION AT A STOPLIGHT, RESULTING IN SOME ROLLBACK AND A POTENTIAL LOW SPEED ACCIDENT. THE DEALER TECHNICAL REP INDICATED THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE THE ABS SYSTEM INTRODUCES AIR INTO THE BRAKE SYSTEM AFTER THE ABS SYSTEM INTERVENES TO AVOID REAR-WHEEL LOCKUP. IF THIS IS THE CASE, THIS SYSTEM IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE AND PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD TO RIDERS AND THOSE AROUND THEM. *TR

I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION AND TRIED TO SLOW DOWN USING THE REAR BREAK. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE REAR BRAKE DIDN'T FUNCTION ALMOST CAUSING COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. REAR BREAK DOES NOT SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE EVER SINCE. *TR